'Harlow is ideal for me'

After 16 years of living and working in South Africa, Mark Field, who works for Reuters in the City, wanted a home that was light and open and within sight of trees.

"I was used to lots of space and a garden and a pool, but to get that in London would cost an arm and a leg," he says. With a budget of less than £200,000 it became clear that his money would buy only the smallest of places near his work. "Harlow is ideal for me. It's close to my father and sister, has good transport connections, including Stansted Airport and is away from the concrete jungle. It meant I could buy a large two-bedroom apartment for £180,000."

The contemporary design was a strong selling point. "I've seen plenty of bog-standard flats, but this is completely different. It has huge floor-to-ceiling windows, lots of natural light, plenty of space and really interesting materials like the thatch. I bought the place off-plan because I could see immediately that it had something extra and unusual to offer."